TWO areas in Test Valley near Romsey have been classed as hotspots after their case rates soared to more than 400 per 100,000, according to a coronavirus map.

This comes after the area was thrown into Tier 4 restrictions, which began on Boxing Day, in a bid to curb rising cases.

A map on the Government coronavirus dashboard breaks down infections in England into Middle Super Output Areas (MSOA), small areas with an average population of 7,200.

Areas are colour-coded by their rate, with purples and blues being the highest, and greens and yellows the lowest.

The MSOA with the highest number of cases in the week to December 29, when the latest figures were available, is Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams, which had 52 cases and a weekly rolling rate of 781.7 cases per 100,000 people.

This shot up by 34 cases after there were 18 recorded in the area on December 22.

On December 15, the area had just 4 cases.

Abbotswood and West Wellow had the second-highest number of cases on December 29, coming to 41 (up by 22 compared to the previous week) with a weekly rolling rate of 482.8 cases per 100,000 people.

The number of cases and the infection rate per 100,000 people, which is shown in brackets, in other areas are as follows:

Romsey Town: 14 (234.6) - down by 3 cases from the previous week.

Romsey Cupernham and Halterworth: 34 (392.9) - up by 21 cases.

North Baddesley and Braishfield: 37 (344.3) - up by 18 cases.

Chandler's Ford East: 28 (348.2) - up by 15 cases.

Chandler's Ford West: 22 (284.9) - up by 7 cases.

Valley Park: 23 (306.8) - up by 1 case.

Totton Town: 31 (387.6) - up by 14 cases.

Totton Calmore: 15 (249.7) - up by 7 cases.

Totton Rushington: 15 (204.9) - up by 5 cases.

West Totton: 16 (190.3) - down by 3 cases.

Nether Wallop, King's Somborne and Dunbridge: 21 (270.1) - up by 10 cases.